Sunday, May 30, 2010

Hotels in the city of Colombo are making extensive preparations for the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy Awards 2010 (IIFA awards) to be held in Colombo from June 3 – 5. Indian mega stars such as Shahrukh, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan, Lara Dutta, Bonam Irani and Ritesh Deshmukh are but a few of the celebrities expected in Sri Lanka during this time.

The city hotels have taken an additional step to release several members of staff to work on a voluntary basis to assist in the vast and varied arrangements. “IIFA was planned in a short time and the City Hotels will provide 650 room nights per day including 148 suites on complementary basis.

The rooms will be on a bed and breakfast basis and the suites will be on a full board basis with extras,” said M. Shanthikumar, President of Colombo City Tourist Hotels Association (CCTHA).

“There is no doubt that this mega event will be a great boost to the tourist industry and the contribution of 2,600 room nights is a worthwhile investment, which will not only benefit the hotels in particular but the tourist industry in general,” analysed Shanthikumar. He went on to say that this exercise of goodwill will create an awareness and boost the image of our country.

“India has become one of the largest tourism markets in recent times and this prestigious event will definitely help to enhance future arrivals. With its vast potential Sri Lanka would benefit immensely, with significant effects being evident with immediate effect,” said Shanthikumar. “With the business sectors in India having one to one meetings with Sri Lankan outfits, the positive effects will also be reflected in the corporate sector,” he observed.